Thesis Statements

(Or as I like to say, Whats your point?)

Analytical Thesis Statement

An analytical paper breaks down a text(s) into its component parts, evaluates the data, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience as an argument. In other words, I believe this text is saying and heres how I know and heres why you should believe it too.

A thesis statement

tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

A thesis statement

is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

A thesis statement

makes a claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

Does my thesis pass the so what?" test? If a reader's first response is so what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

Critical Literary Analysis

For a critical literary analysis, your thesis statement will typically include the title(s) of the work(s) you will discuss in your paper and the author(s) of those works, as well as what it is that you will argue about those works.

Thesis Statement Checklist

Does your thesis statement respond directly to the prompt? Does your thesis contain a definite statement? Is your thesis an arguable claim? Does your thesis show you have knowledge about your topic?

Sample literary thesis statement

In the characters of Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby himself, Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby depicts a corrupted version of the traditional American Dream.

Sample literary thesis statement

Sinclair Lewis 1922 novel Babbitt relies upon the authors use of satire to critique the ignorance, mediocrity and conformity of the American middle class.

Sample literary thesis statement

Walt Whitman creates a body of democratic poetry through his simple depiction of the diverse American proletariat using vernacular language.

Sample literary thesis statement

The marriage between Lydia and Mr. Wickham in Austens Pride and Prejudice serves as the works primary method of deconstructing Englands 19th Century marriage customs.

Sample literary thesis statement

In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs details the battle of words between her master and herself, revealing the intellectual prowess of those who, like her, are condemned to slavery.

Writing a Thesis Statement

I am writing about ______________________, and I am going to argue, show or prove ______________________.